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Vegas Retreat

12 October 2008

This weekend was the annual retreat for the LAA club. Generally they rent a cabin somewhere and rough it out in the desert. The location is kept secret until we’re on the road. So, we left Friday at 2 and found out we’re going to Las Vegas. This was great news for me; I like Vegas and it’s been 2 years since I’ve been there. Turns out a former member of LAA opened up her parents’ home to us. It’s a beautiful mansion a 5 minute drive away from the Strip. The house was very nice; it’s owned by Greeks and they used a lot of Mediterranean sculptures and art in decorating, marble floors and fireplaces throughout, crystal chandeliers, the real deal. We cooked two meals in the restaurant-style kitchen and just chilled out in the huge house. One of the parents was there and she was very hospitable and made everyone feel right at home. I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure this was really me, in this mansion, in Las Vegas.

We all had an awesome time; I guess it pays to make connections… They had beds for most of us, 14 from Flag, and a few people slept wherever they felt like it, on rugs or couches. Outside behind the house they had a nice pool, spa, ping-pong, and a courtyard chess game. All in all I guess we were pretty happy to have such an awesome house for a day and night. Friday night we got a tour of a few Strip casinos led by our Vegas host and I found some new places, learned some new stuff. Also, I ran into my neighbors from four doors down at midnight while walking on the sidewalk. That was pretty cool, I hadn’t known they were going, nor they me, and then I met up with them in Vegas. My world is getting smaller I guess. On Saturday, we cooked some breakfast for the hosts and went back to the Strip by ourselves and walked around some more, and ironically, out of all the Arizona natives, I got conned into being the guide because I had been there the most times and knew where all the free attractions were inside the casinos. Trying to lead a big group in NYC intimidates me, and this was no different. It’s pretty hectic trying to keep everybody together and happy in a city like this. Luckily we left before making any enemies, but don’t know how much longer total peace would have lasted…